Make an abstract piece of paper art using the Crystal Geode Water Marbling Paint Set.

SUPPLIES

• Crystal Geode Water Marbling Set (BD5WMCG)
• Magic Medium Water Prep (DWM100-36)
• Premium Marbling Paper (20pcs) (DAS277-K)
• Speciality Marbling Sticks (20pc) (DABK50-K)
• Water Marbling Premium Cleaning Paper (32pcs) (DAS278-K)

• paper towels
• iron
• watercolor paper
• plastic tub or tray
• water marbling tray

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Before you begin be sure to set up your water marbling station. You should have your supplies set up and easily accessible. Following directions on bottle, mix the Magic Medium Water Prep with the appropriate amount of water in the water marbling tray or separate container.

You should also have a tray of clean water to rinse your prints after they are dipped. (TIP: Lay out paper towels to place your fresh prints on to speed drying time.) Plan to create several unique prints at one time.

Some of the drops of paint will sink and you may begin to see drops of paint gathering on the bottom of the tray, this is normal and will not effect the surface where the print is pulled.

For this project use the Crystal Geode Water Marbling Set, which includes the following colors: Blue, Lavender, Aquamarine, Violet and Pink

1. Prepare your size. Follow the easy instructions on the Magic Medium bottle to prepare the size (water) mixture. (TIP: Prepare mixture in a plastic tub with a lid and fill/refill the water marbling tray as needed. Cover unused size and store at room temperature to keep it fresh for up to five days) Now you are ready to add paint.

2. Start by filling the surface of the size with an even coat of Blue. Do this by dripping down the middle of the tray horizontally.

3. (TIP: place the paint drops close together as to not allow space in between-which will leave a white spot on the print.)

4. The more paint you have in your base coat color, the more control you have of the design later.

5. Slowly add some evenly spaced drops of Aquamarine. This will create a "Stone" pattern. Once paint drops are dispersed, add another drop into the center of each stone with Aquamarine.

6. Next, add a drop of Violet to the center of each stone.

7. Once each drop dissolves, add another drop of Violet to each stone. This is building the layers of paint within the design, creating a very vibrant and rich print. (TIP: to create a print with a softer palette, just decrease the amount of paint used!)

8. Slowly add Pink to the center of each stone. Add another drop, once the first dissolves.

9. Add Blue drops to the center of each circular stone.

10. Add drops of Aquamarine to the center of each stone shape.

11. Keep layering colors to build up the surface of paint. (TIP: you can add colors in any order you prefer to create a design that you like!)

12. To add smaller (more controlled) dots, pour some paint out and dip with the end of the Water Marbling Stick.

13. Then, add the paint to the center of each stone shape by gently touching the tip of the stick to the surface. (TIP: Touch the dots multiple times to slightly increase the size of the dot.)

14. Keep building up the pattern until you reach your desired look. (TIP: This stone technique is used as a starting point for many other water marbling techniques such as gelgit (zigzag), arches and flowers. Decoart offers many "how to" projects and techniques to try them all!)

15. When your tray is ready to transfer the design onto the paper, use a piece of DecoArt's Premium Water Marbling Paper to get maximum absorbency of the paint. (TIP: Keep paper very dry! If the surface is wet prior to dipping into the size, it won't absorb the paint, which will result in a white spot.) A good technique to minimize bubbles in your print is to hold your paper on opposing corners to allow the center of the paper to touch the surface first. Then, slowly lay your corners down onto the surface. Make sure the paper is in full contact with the surface.

16. Allow the paper to float on the surface of the size for a moment. This allows the design to transfer onto the paper. The corners of the paper will begin to pull away from the surface. Lift the paper off the surface by lifting opposing corners of the paper. Although you may notice some slight finger smudges in the corners of the paper, do not be concerned. They simply add to the overall effect.

17. Place face down in a clean tray of water to rinse off extra sizing. This step is optional, but rinsing off extra sizing allows for cleaner, more vibrant colors to shine through! Also, the paper will be less stiff and dry flatter.

18. Lay paper, print side up on a paper towel to dry. This step will help absorb excess moisture and allow prints to dry faster.

19. There will be extra paint left on the surface. You can transfer another print at this point. (TIP: blow on the surface to give the paint more movement and interest.) The pool of sizing can be reused again and again. These second pulls are beautiful too! They are great to have for paper projects and collages.

20. Allow print to dry completely. Lay paper, print side down and using an iron on high, iron to flatten. (TIP: Place a piece of watercolor paper between the paint and the table surface to protect the print. If you have steam, place a paper towel between the watercolor paper and the table.)

21. The print looks beautiful in a simple frame. But there are endless possibilities as to how you can use these one-of-a-kind prints. Incorporate them in a collage, cover a journal, or even as a background for a mixed media project.

22. Try using DecoArt's Water Marbling Surface prep and techniques to hydro-dip a scarf, a pair of shoes or anything you want to try!

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